why are you afraid of scaring him away in the first place? if he's in love with you, then he should even appreciate that you want to spend more time with him...I think it will make him even happy to know that....
the basic of the relationship is communication....if we don't tell our partner what we feel or if we are scared of asking him for something, then that relationship is not going to work....
Just be assertive and not very aggressive when you are telling him....consider his situations as well....it looks like he's going through a lot in his life....
good luck
Marjan